Just spent some time digging through 2024 housing data and the regional differences in average condo cost are pretty wild. Like, you've got states where condos average around 130k (Oklahoma) and then California's sitting at 660k+ for basically the same type of unit. That's a huge gap.

What caught my attention is how the average condo cost doesn't always match up with what people actually earn. Take Maryland - decent salary at 67k take-home but condos average 289k. Meanwhile Alaska has higher salaries (64k) but cheaper condos at 211k. The affordability math is totally different depending on where you're looking.

The most interesting markets seem to be the mountain and coastal states. Montana's average condo cost hit 437k, Maine's at 431k, Washington's 447k. These aren't coastal tech hubs either, so the prices are being driven by something else - probably migration patterns post-pandemic.

If you're actually looking to invest in a condo, the Midwest and South seem more reasonable on paper. Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas - average condo costs are still under 250k and salaries are lower but so are expenses. Though I'd want to check the actual market liquidity before jumping in.

The data's from mid-2024 so take it with a grain of salt, but it's a solid snapshot of where the average condo cost sits across different regions. Definitely worth comparing a few states if you're thinking about this move.